Snow = Sledding!

When Amanda got home from school, she got the kids dressed in their snow gear.  Time to take advantage of the snow fall!  It was a beautiful day for playing out in the snow! They drove up to the canyon a little ways and had a fun time!  Joel went along to take pictures.  Not sure if he ever went down the hill on a sled.  He got a lot of great shots, it is hard not to post them all!  But there are a lot here to enjoy.  Those rosy cold cheeks and lots of fun.  Grandma made them hot chocolate when they got home.  It's a winter wonderland!  

Temple Square lights...

I must preface this post by saying how excited I am that Kelly Laing and her family moved up here from Clovis!  She lives about 20 minutes away so we made them some "Utah" cookies (handcrafted!) with snowflake cookies and delivered them on evening.  It was fun to see their house and we made plans to meet up on the Frontrunner train and go to Temple Square to see the lights turn on the day after Thanksgiving.  We did it!!  Everyone else had the same idea and that train was standing room only!!  It was so cold that night!  We arrived about 45 minutes before time for the lights to come one.  We took turns going into the visitor's center to get warm, while saving our spots.  We had been there once before when they turned the lights on and the crowds were impossible!  Well, this night there were no crowds.  It was so weird.  But as soon as the lights came on, there were people everywhere!  Anyway, I think the temperature was about 28 degrees but the "real feel" was 19.  Biting cold!!  The Laings were not dressed warm enough.  They thought they were, but they weren't.  They were dressed for California cold.  We had brought sack lunches to eat while we waited.  Once the lights came on, we walked around for a bit, and went inside the tabernacle to get warmed up before finishing the rest of the lights. What we wouldn't give for a cup of hot chocolate!!  We went around to where the nativity is in the reflecting pool.  It was too crowded and to dark to get a good picture.  I did take one of their family, Ben covered his face!  I couldn't tell while I was taking it though. It was very beautiful even though it was so cold.  We joked that Donna Miller needs to make Kelly a "Utah" scarf, as the cute one she made her for California just wasn't cutting it!  Peyton was crying that it was so cold and she was so tired while we waited for the train to go back.  I felt so bad for her.  I tried to get a picture of her scrunched up face but she yawned right when I took the picture.  Anyway, we got on trax, drove the little ways to the train station and then waited for the train.  It was so nice to get on and get warm!  Standing room only again.  Micah sat on the floor so leaned up for me to get a picture.  Despite the cold, it was super fun to be there!  I look forward to going back with the grandkids another night!  Beautiful!!!  

 

Kelly was feeding Peyton like a little bird because her hand were bundled up inside her coat and she couldn't feed herself!  Also it was Jacob's 13th birthday!  Thanks for letting us share it with you!

Thanksgiving 2015...

Thanksgiving was wonderful this year!  I didn't have to do very much at all!  It is great having others help so much with the meal.  Nate was our turkey chef.  He cooked them in his smoker.  They had to be smaller so we had two of them.  YUMMY! He got up early to get them going.  I felt bad, but not too bad.  I loved having someone else doing the turkey!  Amanda and Randa brought desserts, fruits and vegetables.  All I had to do was the rolls and the mashed potatoes!  We had green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, fruit, corn on the cob (Nate's request and Lilly's favorite) and of course pie!  It was all delicious!  My rolls are all different sizes, but they tasted good.  It is a new recipe and I am trying to master them.  After we ate, we girls made a craft, Names of Jesus trees, and the kids made pipe cleaner Christmas trees.  Eric worked on his "cake" for Steve's upcoming 60th birthday. It's going to have 60 fireworks in it!  It was just a lovely day and we all enjoyed it very much!  I didn't get a picture of Joel!  He had the camera! He was there though!  Fun to have him home.  The kids had their own table and their own mini pies!  Kind of fun.  Don't mind Lilly's face, she never smiles for pictures.  Everyone was happy and had a good day!  My tree isn't quite finished.  I'm going to re-do a bigger and fluffier bow. And spray the star gold to match the ribbon.  The ribbon has the names of Jesus too.  And someone wrote on my menu board for today. Pretty funny!  I assure you no one starved!  We put in the movie "Inside Out" and it was a relaxing day all around!  Here is our day in no particular order...

 Love my kitchen helpers! 

 Their first thanksgiving together!

Sugar Cookies and leaves, leaves, leaves!

Grandma made sugar cookies one day.  I wanted to take "Utah" cookies to Kelly and Tyler Laing who just moved up here from Clovis.  Joel had gone over to help them unload their truck as no one was helping them!  I asked Joel if he knew the missionaries in Riverton and he looked them up, but turns out that is in the new Orem mission so he didn't have the information.  But he said, "I will go help."  That made my momma heart so happy!  Well, now Dave and I wanted to go say hello and "Welcome to Utah!"  So when the kids got home from school, they decorated cookies for me!  I decorated the Utah, snowflake and Y ones, as I didn't want Kelly and Tyler to have the super, super, super coated in sugar ones.  :) It was fun to see them and deliver their goodies.  They asked how I made the Utah shape and I said with a knife.  Handcrafted cookies!!  We got a tour of their house which is being put together and lots of unpacking still.  Kelly came to see me last year when WE were unpacking our house!  They are only about 20 mins away and we are definitely going to have some game nights and get together!  Now it is back to raking leaves!  And picking up all those sticks!!  Oh my goodness...I didn't think we would ever get done!  I would rake piles during the day while Zander was sleeping, then when the kids would get home from school they would help me scoop them into the can to dump into the trailer.  We would get so tired!  But then we would come in and have hot chocolate.  Joel would go out and rake some too.  He even went out on the crazy windy, snowy day and did some raking!  It was so windy, the snow couldn't hit the ground, it just blew all over the place.  Then on Saturday we did an all out effort...everyone helped and we got done!  It was a lot of work!!!  Amanda used the leaf blower and that helped speed things up.  We filled that trailer 3 times!  There are still a few leaves, but we got it mostly done and I am satisfied with it. Thank you to all my awesome helpers!!!  It was great having the addition of Joel, Nate and Lilly this year!  Many hands make light work!  

My Birthday week activities...

For my birthday I got SNOW!  On the 10th we got our first snow, although it didn't last, it was snowy and cold all day!  I had to speak in Relief Society that evening on the joys I am having in my "season" of life.  I had hoped I was spring or summer, but I was FALL!  Noting that I would be a year older the next day, I was able to share my joys.  They shared the parable of the pear tree and had the room decorated so nice.  They served pears and pear butter with Doris Sweeten's rolls.  Yummy!  I liked how they used a piece of wrapping paper over the table clothe for an accent.  Lovely! It was a nice evening.  Then on the 11th, my actual birthday, it still snowed some and was very cold!  The family all went to Tucanos for dinner.  The all-you-can-eat meat place.  It was very good! The kids even tried a few things but mostly enjoyed the rolls and pasta and the grilled pineapple.  Thank goodness for the salad bar! They spoiled me with gifts that they shouldn't have - Grandma doesn't need presents!  It was a fun night. Then on Saturday Dave drove me to Wayne County to visit my aunties.  We needed to get one more visit in before bad weather hits. We had our traditional pizza lunch (all the restaurants are closed for the season except the pizza place) and I brought dessert selections from Kneaders.  We had an enjoyable visit and I was able to share with them some pictures I printed for and from the Ellett Reunion this summer, and the book I made for Steve's upcoming 60th birthday.  It was a fun afternoon and I enjoyed the drive with Dave too.  Curtis and Auntie Lew are always great hosts and Auntie Beverly is just as fun as ever.  Uncle Dudley wasn't feeling well and didn't join us this time.  His dementia is getting worse and he worries about being in public.  Auntie Beverly has her hands full for sure and we pray for them all to get through this "season." 

 Those cliffs are bright red, sure wish my phone would take better pictures! And the glare on Steve's book is from the flash...oh well.  

 On the 7th we went to Orem to buy Art City Donuts.  It was a fundraiser for a sister in our ward who is having open heart surgery.  We made a donation and then we bought some donuts.  They are warm and yummy!  Jacob was at a birthday party so he wasn't with us, but the rest of us enjoyed them!  Best wishes to Eliza for a quick recovery from her surgery!  Then Dave and I went to Costco and I got a bear hug from the largest teddy bear I have ever seen!  He only cost 190 dollars!  Who would spend that and where would you even put it?  Wow...Anyway, it has been a fun birthday week all around!